Black Queens put up spirited performance but fall to Lioness of England in friendly
The Lionesses of England concluded 2025 with a 2-0 victory over Ghana’s Black Queens in an international friendly held at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton on Tuesday. Lucia Kendall netted her inaugural senior international goal in the 6th minute, while Alessia Russo confirmed the win with a penalty in the 95th minute.
This match was the first encounter between the two countries, and England showcased dominant possession and created numerous scoring chances.
With this win, England remains unbeaten against African teams, their last defeat occurring back in 2004 with a 3-0 loss to Nigeria.
Ghana’s coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren selected goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan Fiindib to start, with captain Portia Boakye and Susan Ama Duah forming the defensive line.
Benedicte Simon made her debut for the Black Queens, joining the backline for her first match representing Ghana alongside Comfort Yeboah, Portia Boakye, and Susan Duah.
The midfield featured the industrious trio of Jennifer Cudjoe, Stella Nyamekye and Grace Asantewaa as Alice Kusi, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah and Doris Boaduwaa played upfront.
Kendall’s goal was her first senior international goal, and she expressed her joy, saying, “It felt like it was written for me to score today… It was a really special moment for me.”
England captain Alessia Russo also praised Ghana’s performance, stating, “Ghana provided the type of test we wanted… We want to test ourselves against different playing styles, and we definitely got that tonight”.
This friendly match marks England’s final game of 2025, and they will now focus on their qualifying campaign for the 2027 World Cup, as Ghana also shifts attention to the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Ghana’s goalkeeper, Cynthia Konlan, made some impressive saves to keep the scoreline respectable.
The Black Queens will pick a lot of positive lessons from the match ahead of the 2026 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
